Versatile Roosevelt Nix of Reynoldsburg is ranked No. 99 in the nation at defensive tackle, but he's so talented that he might be used at three additional positions.

High school football: Nix suffers no shortage of skills -

Scouts Inc. provided a detailed and objective evaluation of Roosevelt Nix for ESPN.com on its
high school football recruiting page.

Snippets of the review corroborate what area coaches have been saying about the Reynoldsburg
defensive tackle for two years.

Quick and disruptive in the trenches.

Possesses good quickness off the ball and is capable of getting quick penetration.
Initial quickness can make it tough for blockers to get a clean shot on him.

Will flash the ability to use his hands and separate and shed from blockers.

A solid and at times punishing tackler. Closes well on the ball carrier.

Well put together and looks good on film.

A productive and fun player to watch.

Overshadowing these glowing words, the national recruiting service awarded Nix a two-star grade
(out of five) and rated him as the No. 99 defensive tackle in the country.

The reason has the effect of fingernails on a chalkboard for Nix, a two-time first-team
All-Central District player who made 34 minus-yardage tackles among 85 overall with seven sacks and
three forced fumbles last season.

If he were bigger, he would be among the more notable defensive tackles in the class.

The 5-foot-11, 240-pounder -- who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.75 seconds, benches 340 pounds and
squats 475 -- has scholarship offers from Air Force, Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Kent State and
Toledo, to name a few. But his level of play and effect on games would suggest a larger cast of
suitors.

"I just go out there and play," Nix said. "I don't get caught up in that recruiting talk because
I've been told I'm too short for so long. I'm confident in one thing: No one I go up against can
beat me."

"Rosie dominates the middle like no player I've ever coached or seen," Reynoldsburg coach Steve
Evans said last season. "People game plan around him."

Because Nix usually faces double- and triple-team blocking, Evans and defensive coordinator Jeff
Arndt plan to find ways to get him into open spaces. He might be found at tackle, end, nose guard
or linebacker.

"He's equally important to us as a run stopper or a pass rusher, so we want to get him in the
right spots so he can make plays and also free up his teammates to make plays," Arndt said.
"Ideally, we want Rosie's production to go down. We don't want the other guys waiting for him to
make all the plays. We need other guys on the highlight reel, too, and Rosie's completely aware of
that."

Nix said he doesn't care much about statistics; he just wants to win. The Raiders are 7-23 the
past three seasons, including 2-8 in 2008.

"It gives you a sense of accomplishment to hold a successful running back or quarterback down,
but the main thing I want to get done this year is help change the past and history of Reynoldsburg
football," he said. "All it takes is a few wins to get the ball rolling."

Evans and Arndt can't say enough flattering things about Nix.

"His attitude and work ethic really set him apart," Evans said. "He's the first guy in and the
last guy out of the weight room. He's got a huge heart, a big motor and is a great leader. You
can't believe how much his teammates look up to him.

"As far as the recruiting thing goes, it's kind of frustrating. Some of the big majors tell us
that if he were 280 or 290 at 5-11, his height wouldn't be a big issue. But if he gained that much
weight, it (would) take away from his strength -- his explosiveness and quickness."

But the height factor will continue to be the major problem for recruiters. Strangely enough,
Nix's namesake and father was a 6-6, 292-pound defensive end for the Cincinnati Bengals and
Minnesota Vikings from 1992-94.

Nix credited both his father and stepfather, Johnny Jones, for working with him since he was a
tot.

"I never saw any game films of my dad," Nix said, "but I found his stats online. I like to mess
with him about his one career sack. He gets so mad when I bring that up."